BEACHCOMBING WITH KASIA: EXPLORING A ROCKY SHORE

Kasia’s back! She recently explored a rather unpromising-looking stretch of Abaco coastline, and it proved to be anything but… Kasia writes: The story goes: one day I took myself for a walk and a bit of beachcombing. I usually don’t bring my camera with me but luckily this time I did. This particular beach looks very barren but on close inspection and a patient eye there are some lovely treasures to be found. Here are some of the treasures I captured!

A tangle of 3 bleached trees, with their roots apparently intertwined

CHITONS

Great close-ups… are those eggs behind this first one? There’s a similar image in theMacmillan ‘Marine Life of the Caribbean’but unfortunately neither the caption nor the text refers to them. ADDENDUM: Colin Redfern writes: The “eggs” behind the chiton are fecal pellets

NERITES (Nerita)

WEST INDIAN TOP-SHELLS(Cittarium Pica)

In this image, several very small chitons can also be seen on the rock

It looks as if someone… or something… has been having a Nerite feast on the shore. A bird maybe? I had taken the shells above and below to be another variety of Nerite, but as so often scientist and shell expert Colin Redfern has kindly corrected the error. He writes:“Very nice photos. The “nerite feast” is actually a pile of broken West Indian Top-shells (Cittarium pica). The photo immediately above shows a live group of the same species. This is what Bahamians call a whelk (or wilk), and in the lower photo they have been harvested, probably for a stew.

ROCK POOL MISCELLANY

I am trying to ID a much as I can in this pool. All suggestions welcome via ‘Leave a Comment’. So far, the corals are Brain Coral and Pink Coral (I think) but I am going see what else can be given a name…

4 thoughts on “BEACHCOMBING WITH KASIA: EXPLORING A ROCKY SHORE”

Very nice photos. The “nerite feast” is actually a pile of broken West Indian Top-shells (Cittarium pica). The photo immediately above shows a live group of the same species. This is what Bahamians call a whelk (or wilk), and in the lower photo they have been harvested, probably for a stew.
The “eggs” behind the chiton are fecal pellets.

Thanks Ann (& pun excused, of course). Always good to get news & pics from Kasia – hence her dedicated Beachcombing page under ‘CONTRIBUTIONS’ https://rollingharbour.com/contributions-2/beachcombing-on-abaco-with-kasia/ There are often shells / corals / random items of debris that I have never come across before – hence the various ‘mystery’ posts (the jaw of a ray, for example). Very educational… All the best from Rolling Harbour